What Do Different Types of Doctors and Medical Specialists Do?

There are many types of doctors and medical specialists. It can be hard to know what a particular specialist does — and which is best for your specific medical problem. 

Let’s take a deep dive into common types of medical specialists and break down the terms of the work they do in the medical field. Understanding medical specialties and the differences between them can help you find the best type of doctor for your needs.

What are the different types of doctors?

There are many different types of doctors based on the type of care they provide, the types of people they treat, and the area of the body they focus on. Different types of doctors can include:

• Medical specialists and subspecialists

• Surgical specialists and subspecialists

• Combination medical and surgical specialists

The doctor you need to see will vary based on your age and medical conditions. Below you’ll find more information on common types of specialists and the services they provide.

Medical specialists

There are three medical specialties: internal medicine, family medicine, and pediatrics. The doctors working within these specialties are medical specialists. Within internal medicine, the doctors are internists. In family medicine, they are family physicians. And in pediatrics the physicians are pediatricians.

Medical specialists identify and treat diseases with medications, diet, or lifestyle changes. For some, a big part of their care is also promoting health and preventing disease. But there are some key differences between each medical specialty.

Let’s take a closer look at each medical specialist below. 

Read more like this

Explore these related articles, suggested for readers like you.

Long COVID: Live Updates on the Latest in Research and Policy

A Guide to the Most Important Health Screenings for Adults Over 65

Living With Cancer: Life After a Stage 4 Melanoma Diagnosis

What You Need to Know About Amethyst

View more

Internal medicine

Internal medicine specialists take care of adults only. These doctors focus on preventive care and the treatment of disease. Some internists focus on primary care or in-hospital care. 

Family medicine

Family medicine specialists take care of adults, children, and in some cases, pregnant people. Family medicine physicians also focus on primary care and preventive medicine. In some areas, these doctors may do emergency medical care or also deliver babies.

Pediatrics

Pediatric specialists focus on caring for babies and children up to 18 years old. Pediatricians focus on primary care, childhood development, and preventive medicine. Pediatricians can be a great resource for parents in many situations. 

What are the different types of medical subspecialists?

Medical specialists can choose to do general medicine in their medical speciality or they can have a particular area of interest. When medical specialists have a focus on a particular organ or disease, they are “subspecialists.” These are the most common medical subspecialists.

Allergists/Immunologists

Allergy and immunology specialists focus on care of the immune system in children and adults. They identify and treat problems involving the immune system. Examples include:

• Allergy testing

• Managing allergy treatment

• Diagnosing and treating asthma

• Diagnosing and treating immune deficiency disorders (low immune system function)

Cardiologists

Cardiology specialists focus on care of the heart and cardiovascular system. These types of doctors manage heart problems like high blood pressure, heart disease, and abnormal heart rhythms. They can perform and interpret results of heart tests, like stress testing and echocardiograms. 

Some cardiologists also perform procedures, such as: 

• Cardiac catheterization

• Pacemaker placement

• Arrhythmia ablation

Dermatologists

Dermatology specialists focus on the care of medical problems related to the skin, hair, and nails. These doctors diagnose and treat skin problems, including skin cancer. They can perform some procedures, like skin biopsies. Sometimes they also do minor surgery.

Endocrinologists

Endocrinology specialists focus on medical problems related to the various hormones in the body. Some examples of hormones include insulin, glucagon, cortisol, and thyroid hormones. These doctors can help identify and treat hormone imbalances.

Endocrinologists often care for people with: 

• Diabetes

• Thyroid problems 

• Growth disorders 

• Adrenal gland disorders 

Gastroenterologists

Gastroenterology specialists focus on diagnosing and treating problems of the gastrointestinal system. This includes disorders of organs like: 

• Esophagus

• Stomach

• Intestines

• Liver

• Gallbladder

• Pancreas 

Some of the specialists may subspecialize even further and focus on one specific organ. For example, a hepatologist is a gastroenterologist who specializes in diseases of the liver. 

Gastroenterologists can also perform invasive procedures like endoscopy or colonoscopy.

Geriatrician

Geriatric medicine specialists focus on the care of older adults. These specialists identify and treat medical conditions that are common or specific to older age. These doctors are useful for people older than 65 years who have several medical problems.

Hematologist-oncologist

Hematology-oncology specialists diagnose and treat blood disorders and many different types of blood cancers. These types of doctors manage cancer treatment, such as chemotherapy. They may also perform procedures like bone marrow biopsy. And they often work on cancer research. 

Infectious disease

Infectious disease (ID) specialists focus on the care of people with illnesses related to infection. These specialists diagnose and treat a wide variety of diseases due to infection. Common conditions that infectious disease doctors treat include: 

• HIV/AIDS

• Tuberculosis

• Lyme disease

• Complex infections in people with weakened immune systems  

Nephrologists

Nephrology specialists focus on diagnosing and treating problems related to kidney function. Examples of kidney problems include chronic kidney disease and acute kidney failure. These doctors also manage dialysis and may perform some invasive procedures related to dialysis.

Neurologist

Neurology specialists care for medical problems of the nervous system. They specialize in diagnosing and treating diseases of the brain, spinal cord, and nerves. Some neurologists focus on the brain, while others work primarily with people who have a spinal cord injury. 

Neurologists often treat conditions like:

• Dementia

• Stroke

• Migraines

• Multiple sclerosis

• Seizures

These doctors can also perform procedures like a lumbar puncture or electromyography (EMG). 

Oncologist

Oncology specialists care for people with cancer. While hematology-oncologists treat blood cancers, oncologists treat cancers in other body systems. Within this group, there are also many different subspecialists. For example, medical oncologists treat cancer with chemotherapy. Radiation oncologists use radiation therapy, and surgical oncologists treat cancer with surgery. 

There are also oncology specialists within other clinical fields, such as: 

• Pediatric oncologists

• Breast oncologists

• Gynecologic oncologists

• Neuro-oncologists

• Urologic oncologists 

Palliative care doctor

Palliative care specialists focus on increasing comfort and the quality of life for people with illness — at any stage of disease. Some of these specialists focus on hospice care, which is palliative care for people with terminal illness in their last 6 months of life. Palliative care is often combined with other medical treatments.

Physiatrist

Physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists are known as physiatrists. These doctors help treat problems of the brain, spinal cord, as well as muscles and bones. But, physiatrists especially focus on conditions associated with disability. They can help design a treatment plan after an injury or stroke, so you can regain as much physical function as possible.

Psychiatrist

Psychiatrists are medical specialists who focus on mental health. Psychiatrists diagnose and treat mental illness as well as emotional and behavioral disorders. Some psychiatrists treat adults, while others specialize in treating children or teenagers.

Psychiatrists may use psychotherapy, medications, and occasionally procedures like electroconvulsive therapy (ECT).

Pulmonologist

Pulmonology specialists diagnose and treat lung diseases. They may specialize in critical care. These doctors also perform medical procedures to help diagnose and treat lung problems. These can include procedures like:

• Bronchoscopy

• Spirometry

• Airway stent placement

Rheumatologist

Rheumatology specialists identify and treat conditions affecting connective tissues in the body, like:

• Joints

• Bones

• Muscles

• Tendons

• Ligaments 

Many of the diseases they treat are autoimmune conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma, and lupus. They can also treat other conditions like osteoarthritis. 

Pediatric subspecialists

Many of these subspecialties are the same for children. But there are some subspecialties that are unique to pediatrics. Here we list some examples of subspecialties that are just for children.

Adolescent medicine

Adolescent medicine specialists treat medical and emotional conditions teens and young adults face. They treat people between the ages of 11 and 21 years. Common issues an adolescent medicine specialist can address include:

• Acne

• Substance abuse prevention and counseling

• Learning and developmental disorders

• Depression and anxiety

• Reproductive and sexual health concerns

Child abuse pediatrician

Child abuse specialists focus on cases of possible child abuse. These doctors often work with other teams — including social workers and law enforcement. They diagnose and manage cases of possible and confirmed child abuse.

Developmental and behavioral pediatrics

Developmental and behavioral specialists diagnose and treat children with developmental or behavioral problems. Examples of conditions that these specialists can manage include:

• Learning disabilities

• Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

• Tourette’s syndrome

• Cerebral palsy

• Autism spectrum disorder

• Delayed motor or speech development

Neonatologist

Neonatology specialists focus on the care of high-risk newborns. These specialists often care for newborns who are premature or have a birth defect. Sometimes neonatologists are involved even before birth, especially if a baby is expected to have a high-risk medical problem. 

What are the different types of surgeons?

Surgical specialists focus on medical problems that need surgery, when medication alone can’t treat them. There are many different types of surgeons. Like medical specialists, these specialists each focus on a body system.

General surgeon

General surgeons treat a wide variety of problems that involve organs of the abdomen, the skin and soft tissues, breast, neck, and other areas. General surgeons perform surgery, but they may also do other procedures, such as endoscopy. Some general surgeons can further specialize to focus on:

• Trauma surgery

• Breast surgery

• Cancer surgery

• Critical care surgery 

Colorectal surgeon

Colorectal surgeons specialize in treating diseases of the: 

• Intestinal tract

• Colon

• Rectum

• Anal canal

• Perianal area 

For some types of medical problems in these areas, colorectal surgeons can prescribe medications. For other types of medical problems they may perform surgery or an endoscopic procedure, like a colonoscopy. 

Pediatric surgeon

Pediatric surgeons are like general surgeons, but they treat diseases that need surgery in children instead of adults. There are many surgical subspecialists for kids as well, like pediatric orthopedic surgeons or neurosurgeons.

Plastic surgeon

Plastic surgeons operate on the skin, muscle, and soft tissues of various parts of the body. These surgeons focus on repairing defects of the face and body related to birth defects, injury, burns, or disease. 

Examples of plastic surgery include:

• Breast reconstruction after breast cancer surgery

• Cleft lip and palate repair

• Hand surgery

• Surgeries to treat scars 

Orthopedic surgeon

Orthopedic surgeons specialize in managing problems of the bones, muscles, ligaments, and tendons in the body. Depending on the medical problem, they may perform surgery. In some cases, they may recommend medications, physical therapy, or steroid injections. Orthopedic surgeons also perform emergency surgery to repair bones, muscles, and tendons after accidents. 

Otolaryngologist

Otolaryngologists (ENT) are surgeons who treat medical problems of the head and neck. These specialists focus on problems that affect the ears, nose, and throat (that’s where the common name “ENT” comes from). Some also perform facial plastic surgery. They can handle any problem above the shoulders, but they don’t operate on the eyes or the brain. Otolaryngologists can treat both children and adults.

Oral and maxillofacial surgeon 

Oral and maxillofacial surgeons (OMFS) focus on surgery of the head, neck, face, mouth, and jaw. This may sound similar to otolaryngologists, but OMFS doctors have training in dentistry. So they also perform tooth extractions and dental implants.

Neurosurgeon

Neurosurgeons perform surgery on the brain and spinal cord to help treat neurologic diseases. They often work together with neurologists. Neurosurgeons may perform surgery for:

• Brain tumors

• Seizures

• Brain aneurysms

• Spinal cord problems 

Thoracic surgeon

Thoracic surgeons perform surgery on the organs in the chest — like the heart, lungs, and esophagus. These specialists may perform surgery to treat: 

• Heart disease

• Emphysema

• Lung cancer

• Problems of the large blood vessels in the chest

• Esophageal cancer

Vascular surgeon

Vascular surgeons treat diseases of the blood vessels in your body, except those in the brain and heart. Vascular surgeons can help people with vascular disease manage their conditions. They can also perform surgery on damaged blood vessels for a variety of reasons including injury and accidents.

Combination medical and surgical specialists

There are some medical professionals whose specialty involves both medical and surgical care. You may come across these types of doctors in a clinic, emergency, or operating room. These specialists are listed below. 

Obstetrician-gynecologist

Obstetrician-gynecologists (OB-GYN) specialize in care for those assigned female at birth. These doctors know all about the medical and surgical problems of the female reproductive organs. Obstetrician-gynecologists guide women through pregnancy, childbirth, menopause, and beyond. In some cases, they can also provide primary care.

Some obstetrician-gynecologists further subspecialize to focus on:

• High-risk pregnancies

• Fertility problems

• Gynecologic cancers

Urologist

Urologists diagnose and treat medical and surgical problems of the urinary tract. This includes issues affecting areas like:

• Kidney

• Ureter

• Bladder

• Adrenal glands

They also care for issues affecting male genital organs, including the prostate. Urologists can perform a wide variety of surgical procedures. Urologists can treat adults and children. Sometimes they subspecialize in the treatment of urologic cancers, such as prostate cancer. 

Ophthalmologist

Ophthalmologists are the “eye doctors.” These specialists diagnose and treat medical and surgical problems of the eyes. Common examples are glaucoma, cataracts, and eye injuries. These specialists may see adults and children. But young children may need to see a pediatric ophthalmologist.

Emergency medicine physicians

Emergency room specialists work in hospital emergency rooms. They handle all kinds of medical and surgical emergencies in adults and children. These doctors decide when a problem needs admission to a hospital, and perform medical procedures if necessary. They also have experience in critical care.

Anesthesiologist

Anesthesiologists care for people who need sedation for surgery and other types of medical procedures. Anesthesiologists review your medical history and surgical procedure to come up with a safe plan for anesthesia. These doctors give medications and perform procedures to keep you safe before, during, and after your surgery.

Anesthesiologists care for adults, children, pregnant people, and critically ill patients. Some anesthesiologists also subspecialize in pain management.

Radiologist

Radiologists are doctors who specialize in performing and interpreting medical imaging. This includes tests like X-rays, ultrasound exams, CT and MRI scans.

Some radiologists also perform procedures using imaging to treat certain diseases or injuries. This can include:

• Needle biopsy

• Catheter placement

• Stent placement

Other types of doctors

There are some doctors that don’t often have patient contact. Pathologists are a unique type of medical specialist that focus on laboratory science and the diagnosis of disease. People don’t often get to meet the pathologist involved in their care, but these specialists can be a very important part of the medical team.

Pathologists

Pathologists are specialists in the diagnosis of disease. Pathologists look at biopsies under a microscope to diagnose cancer and other conditions. Pathologists often help other specialists with diagnosis and treatment.

Why trust our experts?

Written by:

Kelly Elterman, MD

Kelly Elterman, MD, is a board-certified anesthesiologist by the American Board of Anesthesiologyand has been practicing clinically since she finished her residency training in 2013. Along with her training, she has over 10 years experience in anesthesiology.

Edited by:

Karla Robinson, MD

Karla Robinson, MD, is a medical editor for GoodRx. She is a licensed, board-certified family physician with almost 20 years of experience in health through varied clinical, administrative, and educational roles.

Our editorial standards

Meet our experts